78 resolutions passed despite ruckus by DMK councillors

Chennai: The corporation’s council meet on Friday had the usual scenes of walkouts and mocking replies apart from discussions on civic issues.

The council passed 78 resolutions by the end, in­cluding resolutions on procurement of eight li­ght motorised vehicles to catch cattle and imposing company tax in ext­ended areas. The vehicles will be equipped wi­th hydraulic lifts to help lift cattle and load them into the vehicle with ease.

“The corporation needs to monitor the health of cows before and after ta­king them to the Blue Cross,” said DMK councilor V. Vasu. In another resolution, the corporation imposed the paym­e­nt of company tax in the extended regions of Ch­e­nnai. “The imposition of company tax will not affect the lower middle class or the poor community as the tax is applicable only to companies,” mayor Saidai S. Dura­is­amy said.

But political drama took the lead earlier in the day when the mayor charged DMK members for encroaching upon the OSR (open space reservation) land in the DMK headquarters — Anna Arivalayam.

Replying to councilor Arumugam on the OSR land at the Anna Ariv­a­layam, the mayor said, “Around 57 OSR lands have been obtained by the civic body from 2006 to 2007. But the land before the DMK headquarters has not been handed over through any documents to the corporation and the party has misused its power.”

Annoyed by the ma­y­or’s comment, DMK cou­nc­illors staged a walk­o­ut only to return to th­eir seats a few minutes later. “The allegations ma­de by the mayor about the OSR land is fabricated,” said DMK floor lea­der S.C. Bose. “While there are plenty of civic issues to be addr­essed by the city corporation, the ma­yor is diverting the council by playing politics,” he added.